Welt shoe and method of making the same



Aug. 8, 1939. s rr Fj- AL 2,168,498

WELT SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Nov. 15, 1937 Patented Aug. 8, 1939 PATENT OFFICE WELT SHOE.

AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAllIE Louis G. Smith and William A. Bertrand, Brock ton, Mass., assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J4, a' corporation of New Jersey I Application November 15, 1937, Serial No. 174,529

4 Claims.

This invention'relates to shoes and to methods of makingpthe same, particularly, to vwelt shoes. It .iswell recognizedlthat, in the manufacture of welt shoes a substantialiinsole is important and that; in order to enhance the flexibility of a shoe, the filling material should be as thin as possible, enough being used,.however, to prevent direct contact between the insole. and outsole,

thereby eliminating squeaking of the shoe.

These results may be obtained in some measure by employing in welt work a shoulder-channeled insole. If, however, the upper. is lasted over such an insole in the usual manner with tacks, the tacks interfere with the subsequent welting operation, audit the upper. is lasted with the usual clinched staples the staples must be inserted through the channel lip which does not afford a very firm support for the staples. Moreover, the

staples, if they stay in the shoe, interfere with the laying down of the channel flap and, if the staples are trimmed out along with the upper, the channel flap has also to be trimmed, thus leaving a gutter in the shoe bottom.

Objects of this invention are to providea method of making welt shoes in which difficulties such as those above noted are overcome and which results in an improved shoe.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a partly lasted shoe illustrating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line IIII of Fig. 1;

1 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the shoe after the welt is attached; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary completed shoe.

In practising my improved method of making welt shoes, an insole I is first provided which,

as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, is of substantial thickness (for example, about eight irons) and has formed about its periphery the usual rabbet forming a feather l2 and a shoulder M. The insole is also provided with an inside channel l6 which extends from the outer face of the sole inwardly and toward the edge of the sole until at its bottom portion it is substantially parallel with the feather I2. The insole l0 thus prepared is known as a shoulder-channeled insole. The insole is assembled with a usual shoe upper comprising an outer layer l8 and a lining 20 upon a last 22. In lasting, a portion of the upper is drawn upwardly and inwardly over theinsole and a staple 24 is driven through the upper l8 and lining 20 and into that portion of the insole which, with the shoe bottom up, lies over the sectional view of the between-substance, that is, that portion lying between the bottom of the channel and the apex of the angle formed between the feather I2 and shoulder M of the insole, through which portion the inseam stitches are to pass. The tensioned upper, of course, bridges the angle formed by the featherandshoulder, and the staple, being driven in'the solid substance of theinsole at the base of the lip, holds the upper securely against outward movement. The lastingand stapling operations are performed progressively upon successive portions of the upper at each side of the shoe. Thelasting of i the toe and heel portion may be performed in the mannerand by the machines usually employed for this work, that is, the bed lasting machine may be used for lasting the toe end of the shoe and the heel-seat lasting machine for the rear end of the shoe. The excess of upper extending beyond the staples may, if desired, be trimmed at this time but there is no necessity for so doing since the marginal portion of the upper lies fiat against the insole.

The shoe may now be welted in the usual manner, a welt 26 being applied and stitches 28 formed by a curved needle which passes under the flap of the channel It, through the between-substance emerging near the corner between the feather and shoulder, and then through the lining, upper and welt. As the stitches are drawn tight, the welting machine exercises a strong lasting action because, in tightening the stitches, the welt and upper materials are drawn fully into the angle between the feather and the shoulder and, since the margin of the upper is firmly held by the staples 24 against retraction, the material necessary to line the angle is drawn largely from the part of the upper which extends over the side of the last. After sewing the inseam, the lip of the channel is laid back in place to close the channel and may be cemented to hold it in its original position if desired.

After the welting no inseam trimming is necessary, though the upper may be skived to a. thin edge if desired, and only a very thin filler 30 equivalent in thickness to the thickness of the upper materials is required. Such a filler 30, if used, is now placed upon the shoe bottom to fill the space inside the inner edge of the lasting allowance of the upper, its main purpose being to prevent direct contact between the insole and outsole, thus preventing squeaking. An outsole 32 is laid upon the shoe and may be cement-attached if desired, in which case, in addition to roughing the welt, the portion of the upper which extends beyond the well; over the shoe bottom may also be roughened to increase'the area of the bond between the shoe and outsole; or, of course, the outsole 32 may be attached in the usual manner by lockstitches 34 passing through the welt and outsole. The shoe may be completed and finished in the usual manner.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United State is:

1. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in providing an insole shoulder-channeled to form a, feather and shoulder, assembling the insole with an upper upon a last, working the upper over the insole and securing it permanently in lasted position by staples driven through the upper and into the outer face of the insole inwardly of the shoulder and closely adjacent thereto but not through the betweensubstance, said staples being clinched in the insole, attaching a welt to the shoe by an inseam thereby drawing the upper into the angle between the feather and shoulder of the insole, laying an outsole, and securing the outsole to the welt.

2. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in providing an insole shoulder-channeled to form a feather and shoulder,assembling theinsole withan upper uponalast, working the upper over the-insole and securing it permanently in lasted position by staples driven through the upper and into the outer face of the insole inwardly of the shoulder and closely adjacent thereto but not through the betweensubstance of the insole, said staples being curved to clinch them in the insole, welting the shoe thereby drawing the upper into the angle between the feather and shoulder of the insole, ap plying inside the edge of the upper a filler equal to the thickness of the upper materials, laying an outsole, and securing the outsole to the welt by an outseam.

3. A shoe comprising an upper, an insole, an outsole and a welt, the insole being rabbeted to form a feather and shoulder and having an inside channel, the upper extending over the feather and shoulder and over the marginal portion of the outer face of the insole inwardly of the shoulder, staples extending through the upper and clinched in the solid portion of the insole which lies beneath the between-substance, and stitches securing the welt and upper to the between-substance of the insole, the'sole-attaching surface of the welt being substantially flush with the lower face of the portion of upper underlying the bottom of the insole, the outsole being attached to the welt.

4. A shoe comprising an upper, an insole, an outsole and a welt, the insole being rabbeted to form a feather and shoulder and having an inside channel, the upper lying'against the feather and shoulder and over the marginal portion of the outer face of the insole inwardly of the shoulder, staplesextending through the upper and clinched in the solid portion of the insole which lies beneath the between-substance, and stitches securing the welt and upper to the between-substance of the insole, the outsole being cement-attached to the welt and to the marginal portion of the upper which underlies the insole.

LOUIS G. SMITH. WILLIAM A. BERTRAND- 

